Five Lives Six Stories
by Xenolord
Summary: Five lives, torn apart by stress and frustrations, slowly begin to rekindle their friendship after nineteen long years... but what happens when they finally meet once again?
1. The Soldier

Disclaimer: I don't own shit.

Author's Note: I have too much time to think.

Five Lives; Six Stories

One: The Soldier

"I have two rules in my army." Came a calm, collected voice in the AM of the local military base. Her tone was foreign, a slight asian flair without the comical aspect to it. "The first is you do what I say, when I say." The voice continued, a contingent of soldiers lined up before one figure as it paced before them, long, raven hair flowing behind the figure. "If you fail to follow this rule, I will punish you most severely." She stopped, her camo-print jacket displaying her name promenently on her chest, the words 'AKEMI' stitched on the patch. "The second is, if I hear a single comment come out of any one of your stinking holes about my heritage, it will be the last god damn thing you do." She never rose her voice, her tone remaining flat and monotone. Drill Instructor Homura Akemi didn't have to yell. She didn't have to scream or call names. The woman was frightening to behold. Lightning quick and lethally accurate, she once threw a knife alongside a man's middle finger, only barely breaking the skin. Everyone knew there were two certain things in Homura's unit. The first is you learned to shut the fuck up very quickly... and the second was you gave her all the respect she deserved, and more.

"Am I understood?" She asked, snapping on her heels to face the recruits. There came a chorus of 'yes ma'am's from the assembled unit, the five fifteenth division of the Queen's Royal Army, stationed outside London. She nodded, her pale purple eyes eyeing the crowd once more. "Are there any questions before we begin?" No one raised their hands. She smiled a little, the smirk fading quickly. "I have one for you, then." She spoke simply. "Which one of you sodding piles of filth thinks they have what it takes to put me on my ass?" This is how she started every single unit she trained. Weed out the arrogant and bull-headed. One hand shot up, a cocky son of a bitch with blonde hair and a shit-eating grin that would make the Cheshire Cat jealous nodded.

"Ma'am, I think I can take you on." The soldier spoke in a british accent. Homura was thirty two years old now. Her hair was still as pitch as it was when she was younger, and save for the nearly invisible crow's feet forming just aside her eyes, she still had much of her youthly vigor and beauty.

"Very well, then." She spoke, motioning the man forward. "Step forward." He did so and took a rough, barroom brawl fighting pose, to which Homura responded with a flip of her hair. He threw one punch. One.

The moment she saw him flinch to attack, she stepped lithly and elegantly out of the way and took firm hold of his arm, and with reactions honed over the last eighteen years, hurled the one hundred and ninty pound man effortlessly over her shoulder like a dishcloth, slamming him hard onto the ground, back first. He said naught a word as he looked up at the early morning sky in awe, unable to even wince in pain.

"Next." Homura mused, cleaning a strip of dirt from under her fingernail. No other hands were raised. "No next? Very well. You." She pointed to another recruit. "Help him to the infirmiry."

"Yes, ma'am." He saluted and did as instructed.

"The rest of you, dismissed."

Homura Akemi. Thirty two years old, and by all accounts, a normal woman. Sergeant in the Royal Army, has seen now two wars, and hopes there's no third for her. She watches the recruits file out, running her lithe fingers through her hair, as a silver ring shimmers in the low light.

"_I have to say I'm better off here then back in Japan. At least here, you can usually see what's trying to kill you, and you don't have to hide behind a lie to fight back. I don't have any friends. I don't need them. Friends just get in the way, and go off and die on you before you can say stop. Sure, adjusting here has been a pain; between being _allowed_ to carry a gun and learning English, my adaption to western life has been... pleasant. Not like back home. Not like Mitakihara._

"_I had friends once. Once. Four other girls who understood me better then anyone here could ever hope. Not like here. Here, it's all 'yes ma'am', or 'no, ma'am'. No one stops to question. They just do. I like that. I'm no one's friend. I'm no one's confidant. I trust no one, and no one trusts me. Just like it's always been._

"_Mitakihara... I had almost forgot about that place. It's gone down hill in recent years, after the New Millenium funding ran dry, the city started heaving in on it's self. All of the shiny buildings I remember are nothing more then dried out husks feeding off the refuse of civilization. There are more slums there then citizens almost. The east side of town, where we all used to live, is now one big red light district, feeding on the corruption germinating in those streets. I'm almost afraid to see where they are now..._

"_Why? Why am I thinking about them now? It's been almost twenty years since I turned my back on them, and they chose this moment to slither back into my memories... I'll never forget that day... where we went from the best of friends, to the worst of enemies. I remember it, because it was in May... just after we celebrated our first anniversary of Walpurgisnacht's defeat."_

_Pop!_ The sound of a cork popping out of a bottle echoed in the room. "Hiyo!" Came a cheery voice over the laughter. "Careful there, Twindrills, almost took my eye out."

"Would be an improvement." Sayaka took a stab at Kyouko, who only laughed, rubbing the blunette's hair vigorously.

"Yea, you're funny." Homura sipped the fizzy drink quietly as she watched. They had survived the impossible, but only by doing things together. Yea, Madoka had been spending less time with her, but it was to be expected. Homura wasn't Madoka's only friend. She still had all three other girls assembled, plus Hitomi to take into consideration. Sayaka and Kyouko had their moments, but when they were alone, it was almost like neither of them knew the other. Then... there was Mami.

Mami somehow always managed to rub Homura the wrong way. She wasn't a bad girl, no quite the opposite. Mami was a very good person and a good friend to all... but just the way she looked at Madoka now... it was almost scandelous... like she was a piece of cake, ready to be eaten.

"Homura-chan... you've not said two words all night." Madoka finally spoke up, looking at Homura with a concerned glare. Homura pointed at Kyouko and Sayaka, playing in their own little world.

"Those two have been talking amongst themselves all night..." She focused her hard stare on Madoka. "And she seems to have monopolized your time so... I guess it's time for the mentor and the friend to switch roles. I'll be the loner for a bit."

"Akemi-san, that's a bit harsh..." Mami mused, a frown appearing on her face. "I'm not stealing Kaname-san from you... we're just talking."

"About what?" Both Madoka and Mami froze.

"Just... stuff." Madoka answered simply, looking away. It had been no lie that Madoka had been spending an almost _unhealthy_ amount of time with Mami, and no one knew why. Homura had her suspicions, but nothing was confirmed.

"I'm just teaching Kaname-san a few things, Akemi-san. There's no need to get so defensive."

"Spoken like a true..." Homura paused, then looked into her glass. "You know what? Fuck it. Not worth it anymore." She stood and walked to Sayaka, slapping her lightly on the back. "I know how you feel now." The room had gotten eerilie quiet.

"How... I... feel?" Sayaka mused carefully. Homura sympathized with NO ONE.

"Give your soul for someone... and they stab you in the back."

"_Akemi-san!_" Mami barked first.

"Homura-chan, you think Mami-san and I are..."

"What else? Spending an _awful_ lot of time together..." Mami looked disgusted, while Madoka looked shocked.

"Akemi-san... I... don't like girls... like that..."

"Yea. Straight card. Keep playing it. Maybe I'll believe you."

"You've... had too much of this." Kyouko mused, trying to take the glass from Homura.

"It's cider..." Sayaka answered.

"No, you know what. My back is _killing me_, you guys. Do you know why?" Everyone shrugged. "Because I have been _carrying_ you lot on our hunts for the past eight months. _Eight months_. Madoka's off in la-la land half the time... Tomoe's doing god knows what... you two... you're too busy bopping and hitting each other to fight the witch..."

"Hey, Homura, settle down, would you..." Kyouko tried.

"_NO._" She spoke firmly, glaring at Kyouko. "I will not 'settle down'. I am sick and tired of all you. Just because we beat..." She paused. "No wait... now that I think about it, it was _me_ who killed Walpurgisnacht. You four were just extras."

"_Akemi-san!_" Mami barked once more.

"Fuck you, Mami. Fuck you and your lesbian ways. I'm out of here. Fuck all of you." Putting the cider on the table and walking to the door, she turned. "I can't believe I thought you were worth dying for." And left.

-Present-

"_I may have been a bit harsh but... it was years ago. I'm better now then I ever was with them._"

"Akemi!" A voice barked. She had walked back to her room and sat on her bed. "Mail call." He spoke, tossing a letter onto the bed.

"Who from?"

"Fuck if I know. You're the only one on base who can read Japanese. S'why I knew it was for you." Japanese? Reaching over, she took hold of the envelope and read the return name. Tomoe Mami. Jesus fucking Christ almighty in heaven... what in the seven hells did _she_ want? Sliding a fingernail under the seal, she broke it and removed the letter.

_Akemi-san._

_I don't know if you remember me or not... it's been a very long time since we last spoke... nineteen years if I recall properly. After your... rather dismal retreat when we last spoke, everything fell apart. Sakura-san, Miki-san, and even I moved away... I decided to write this letter after coming across a picture in one of my boxes... it was us... all of us, talking and laughing... before we fell out of touch._

_I want those days back, Akemi-san. I want to be able to talk to you again... all of us. Please... get in touch with me sometime. I do miss you._

_Mami Tomoe_

_Tiro Tea House, Southern California_

Homura blinked, then re-read the letter a few times. She couldn't have been serious. 'The last time they talked' she had literally accused her of not only being gay, but stealing her own love interest from under her nose; aggressively and publicly. She took her phone from her bedside table, opened up the email app, and did the one thing she thought she'd never do again.

She spoke to Mami Tomoe.

_Tomoe._

_I remember you allright. I think about you a lot... more these days then before. I can't help but think that... maybe I was wrong in my accusations. Maybe it was my own jealous feelings that lead to me leaving that day._

_I don't hate you. I never did. I was a child with a lot of issues I was dealing with, but that is no excuse. I'd love to see you again. When and where?_

_Oh... and how did you get my address? I'm in England._

_Homura._

Maybe... maybe it wasn't too late to patch old wounds... maybe it was for the best.


	2. The Connoisseur

Chapter Two: The Connoisseur

_My father always told me, that the only true sin in the world was to allow a starving child to go hungry, when thousands of people throw away tons of perfectly good food every day. While the well-to-do lavish in decadence, we, the impoverished, starve and die on the street corner. A loaf of bread and a glass of water is all it takes for us to live another day. We're not lazy. We're not leeches. We're decent people who were just dealt an unlucky hand in life._

_I share my father's opinions. The greatest sin in my eyes is wasting food. I often used to chastise my old friends about it. Always eating left overs that were days old, just to see them go to some good._

_It's been nineteen years since those times... I still think about my old friends sometimes... just on and off. I don't remember most of them, but one... one who was always there for me. Her name was Mami. Mami and I... we had a Laurel and Hardy relationship, you could say. I would say something witty, and she'd shoot me down with her matter-of-fact tone. I miss those days._

"Oi! Brandon! The hell are you doing? Table three still doesn't have their salad."

"Sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry!" A man responded to the commanding female voice, a lanky, red haired man scuttling past her with a large bowl of salad in his hands. "Table fifteen's kicking my ass, ma'am."

"I know. Just try to show a little hustle, m'kay?" The woman responded, her short red hair cropped into a short bob. She wore a pure white chef's coat, and a pair of black slacks as she bounced around the stoves and ovens, helping those in her kitchen.

"Kyouko?" Another male voice spoke, catching Kyouko's attention.

"What's up?" Kyouko, the redhead, asked quickly, tossing some chopped chicken in a pan, the burner flaring.

"Three girls just walked in." He pinched his left ring finger and showed it to her. The woman's all-business face slowly melted into a smile.

"Thank you." He nodded and retreated.

"Go on, boss. We've got it from here. Thanks for the help." Kyouko gave a wink and a nod of her head, walking out to the floor.

_There's a phrase here in New York. 'If you find yourself alone at night, with a hunger in your stomach, find the Cherry Blossom, and you shall not go hungry.' I run the only restaurant in the city that will feed even an empty pocket. I take no profit from this restaurant, nothing I don't require to live. I make enough to provide for the restaurant, and pay my employees. Though we are highly successful, and one of the most acclaimed restaurants in the city, and one thing to help with that is I never... ever... turn anyone away._

Kyouko made sure her hair was neat and coat was fastened and looked nice as she approached the front. Three young girls, probably fifteen or sixteen, were standing by the 'Please wait to be seated' sign. They looked about nervously, as if they felt underdressed in the somewhat posh Cherry Blossom restaurant. "Good evening, ladies!" Kyouko smiled to her guests, bowing at her waist. It was an old habit, one she still kept from her time in Japan. "Shall I show you to a table?" The black-haired girl in the middle smiled and nodded.

"Thank you." She spoke simply. She must have been the leader of the group. Kyouko walked briskly between tables, three menus in her hand as she smiled. It had been too long since she saw her own kind in here... too high a turn-over rate in the profession.

"I'm so glad you ladies decided to join us tonight." She sat them in the VIP section, setting the menus before them. "How goes the hunt tonight?" They were alone in the VIP section, so Kyouko could speak freely.

"The... hunt...?" The blonde girl, probably the newcomer, feigned ignorance. She'd seen it thousands of times before, from four other girls who were a lot better at lying then these three.

"Yea." Kyouko spoke simply, putting her own left hand on the table. "You know. The Wtich Hunt. That's what you're back from, right?" The red head on the end looked at Kyouko with a huge smile.

"You're... You're a Puella Magi, too!?" The redhead smiled, Kyouko nodding.

"Aye. Been one for a while now." She took an unused fourth chair and smiled, folding her hands before her to make a little cradle for her head. "You girls don't mind if I join you for a chat, do you? It's been weeks since I've seen another Puella Magi through here. Last one was... Michelle."

"Michelle... died a few weeks ago..." The raven-haired girl frowned, her glasses slipping down her nose a bit. Kyouko frowned and bowed her head.

"Sad but... that's the very real danger of this job."

"I'm... I guess I'm her replacement..." Came the redhead's response. Kyouko's frown deepened.

"You can fill a spot, but not a person... enough doom and gloom. For obvious reasons, we don't advertise this but..." She put her hand on the menu and smiled. "It's on the house tonight." All three girls looked at Kyouko like she had three heads.

"It's... free?"

"Of course. This very well may be your last meal. You shouldn't have to pay for it." The blonde smiled to her custom, eyes shining bright as stars.

"I... I don't know how to thank you..."

"You don't have to." Came Kyouko's response, her features soft despite her age. "Like I said... this could be your last meal. You're doing this city a service, even if so few of us even know it." She stood, having overstayed her welcome. "I'll let you ladies have a gander at the menu, and I'll be back in a few."

_That cute blonde one... she reminds me of someone I haven't seen in years..._

_-_Nineteen Years Ago_-_

"Heya, cutie." The red headed Puella Magi spoke into her phone, the widest grin ever upon her toothy visage. "Was wondering if you wanted to go out tonight?" She was unusually happy about this turn of events. She had spent all damn day building up the courage to ask her out, and screw everything else, nothing would rob her of this-

"Sorry, Kyouko. I'd love to, but I don't have a lot of time tonight." Kyouko paused at the response, her lips parted as if she were in mid thought. "What? Alright dad!" The voice of Sayaka came once more. "Sorry, I gotta go. Talk to you later, kay?" _Click_. Did she just...

"She hung up on me..." Kyouko looked befuddled at the phone as the device bwooped at her with the busy tone. She didn't know how to take this in all honesty. It was almost as if Sayaka was ignoring her but... that can't be right... right...? She shook her head and pocketed her phone, exchanging it for the box of Pockey which was once it's resident. Opening the box absentmindedly, she reached in and took a stick.

And her heart sank.

Sakura Kyouko had never felt this kind of connection with anyone before, even other girls like her. She just felt so... close to Sayaka. Now, though? Now, it was almost as if she were _making every damn excuse in the book _toavoid talking to, or even being seen with her. She was always out with her dad, or doing something for school. She had plenty of time for Madoka and the others, just not for her.

Usually, Kyouko loved her snacks. She was never without an apple, or a box of Pockey, or the occasional takiyaki... but right now? Everything tasted so bad. She grimaced as she discarded the uneaten Pockey stick to the ground, the bile in her throat making tasting anything impossible. Her stomach churned as she walked away from where she stood, her had reaching into her pocket to retrieve the tickets she bought.

That's right, Sayaka. Bought. Sakura Kyouko bought nothing for anyone, not even herself. If she could avoid paying, you could bet your last cent she would do so. For you, though? For the one girl who could make her heart dance, she had spent everything she had earned to buy these play tickets... She didn't even like theatre... but she had bought them for Sayaka to enjoy... and if she got to spend time with that blue-haired dunderhead, the cost would be worth it.

As she stared at the tickets, front few rows, she watched her vision blur as tears filled her eyes. She wanted to shout, to scream, to bellow every obscenity she knew at the top of her lungs... but the only word she thought could even sum up how she felt wasn't an obscenity. "Kyouko you... idiot." She growled at herself, sprinting back to her meager apartment.

Days passed, and no one had heard hide or head of Kyouko, Mami taking nearly every moment of free time to scour the city for her, checking all her old haunts and even a few 'acquaintances' that Kyouko had given up seeing. No one had seen her in weeks, and Mami in particular was getting very worried. Kyouko knew, because as Mami was looking for Kyouko, Kyouko had been following Mami. All the Witches they had detected over the past few days were dead before they could even arrive, and as they were the only Puella Magi in the city, two plus two was easy to get.

Mami had her break on day nine. On the ninth day of her search, Mami happened to be nearby as a Barrier formed. She waited nearby until a familiar sight caught her eye. "Sakura-san..." Mami spoke once the figure of Kyouko became clear, spear in hand.

"..." She said nothing as she stared at her friend. Mami stepped closer to see Kyouko's face clearer.

"Sakura-san, we're all so wo-" A yelp finished her sentence as she got close enough to see Kyouko's face. Her cheeks were sunk in, her eyes red with fatigue. The once vibrant crimson of her Soul Gem was now a somber, subdued reddish gray, her Soul brimming with nine days of corruption. Hands covering her mouth, Mami stared in awe at her friend. "Sakura-san... You-"

"This is none of your business, Tomoe."

"It is if you're hurting myself." A smile, one of sick humor, spread thin across Kyouko's lips.

"Myself? I'm not hurting myself, Tomoe." Things were really wrong if Kyouko was calling Mami 'Tomoe' instead of her usual 'Twindrills'. "I can't feel anything, Tomoe. Nothing at all..."

"Sakura-san..." Mami was too surprised, too shocked to make much sense of what was happening. She just continued to stare as if Kyouko had six heads. With a tentative step, Mami advanced, Kyouko holding her ground. "Sakura-san... why are you sad...?"

"Sad?" She answered, her head robotically turning to face Mami, what little mascara Kyouko had started wearing had run down her cheeks and was staining her lightly tan skin. "I'm not 'sad', Tomoe. I'm angry... I'm furious..." Despite her words, she didn't move, didn't even flinch to reflect her speech. "...at myself. At this moron Sakura Kyouko. How could she have been so stupid, so blind. I'm a corpse with a human soul stuffed inside. I'm not supposed to love... just kill..."

"Sakura-san, you're sounding like Miki-"

"DON'T!" Kyouko barked, flaring in anger. "Don't you fucking dare say that name to me." Her spear hand reacted, the serpentine weapon breaking into segments and wrapping around Mami; like a constrictor around it's prey, the barb at the end poised to strike at Mami's throat. Mami dug into the pockets of her jeans and took out a black gem, dropping it to the concrete.

"Is this what you want, Sakura-san? Do you really want to turn into a monster wearing your skin - your name?" Kyouko's eyes drifted to the Grief Seed on the ground then back to Mami.

"I don't care." She responded, tightening her grip on her spear.

"You don't care?" Mami shook her head weakly. "I don't believe that. The Sakura Kyouko I know has so much to live for. So much that she wouldn't consider this as a possibility." Kyouko shivered, her eyes dropping. In that second, an intricate, silver-etched musket slid out of Mami's sleeve, her left hand deftly catching the handle and lifting it up with ease. Though she couldn't move her arm, the weapon was light enough to be manipulated by her wrist alone. The weapon's barrel was precious inches from Kyouko's Soul Gem.

"If you do, however... if this is a possible path for Sakura Kyouko to end... I won't hesitate to kill you here and now. I refuse to let such a precious and cherished friend throw her life away for nothing..."

"You wouldn't-" The musket's hammer clicked back and locked into place, ready to fire. Mami's eyes were cold and dead, a face fit to challenge death itself.

"We'll play this game, Sakura-san. At the count of three, you strike and I'll pull the trigger. When the dust settles, we'll know who's right... and who's dead." Kyouko stared at Mami. Would she do it? Would she actually murder a friend? She wouldn't... right? "One." She started simply, her gaze piercing Kyouko to the soul. "Two." She continued, and as rock steady as ever. "Thr-" Before she could finish her count, the spear unwound itself from Mami's body and snapped back into a single weapon. Kyouko stared at Mami, as if sizing her up. Would she have done it? Bending down, Kyouko picked up the discarded Grief Seed, her eyes never leaving Mami's. A crack of thunder. Looking to the sky, Mami's hard gaze melted as she smiled lightly. "Looks like rain..." With a flick of her wrist, the musket became an umbrella, which she opened as the sky began to pour. "You best get to your hunt, Sakura-san. It's a long walk back in the rain."

_I hated her for five years after that. She, who so crassly belittled me for my pain... but after that... after that, I just couldn't think about much without crying. I had been so ready to throw my life away, and I never said thank you..._

-Present; New York City-

I felt my heart ache as memories of Mami came back to me. I had wandered Japan and eventually the world for the next fifteen years, until chance brought me to New York and this restaurant. I went to my friend whom I opened the place with, a heaviness to my heart.

"Jen, I need to head home... I'm feeling bad today" Jennifer frowned but nodded.

"Okay." The raven haired girl answered with a nod. "Just get better, okay? See you when I see you." I nodded and started for the door.

"Ms. Sakura?" Came Brendon's voice. "Know you're not feeling very good, but there's a woman out front, asking for you by name. Says she's a friend of yours." Great... I shuffled out to the front, composing myself before stepping out...

My heart sunk.

Standing by the door, looking about like a woman with a purpose was Mami. The menu dropped from my hand, the sound drawing her attention. Even after all these years...

"Hello, Sakura-san." She smiled sweetly. I stood, mouth gaping like a fish out of water as I fumbled for words. Giggling, she took a few steps towards me and held her hands out. "Don't stand there like I'm Frankenstein, silly. Give me a hug." Advancing, I threw my arms around her and held her as tightly as I could. "Oh my... such a hug... What's wrong?"

"What do you think? I've missed you these last years." Was all I could respond, eyes watering after being so long apart from my dear friend. Mami smiled, her hand gently stroking my back. "God... I thought you hated me." To this, she gave a little; almost tentative laugh, returning my hug.

"Don't be silly, Sakura-san. We're friends. I could never hate you. I can hate your decisions, but never you as a person... because I love you, even if you do squander magic."

"Damn... I missed you, Tomoe-san... I've missed you like nothin' ever." Mami looked a little hurt.

"Oh, shoot. I guess I would have lost that bet... I have to admit, Sakura-san. I'm a bit disappointed. Your old nickname used to be cute."

"I thought you hated it when I called you that..." She gave a cute giggle.

"Oh come come, Sakura-san. People change... as you are a fine example of." I beamed at her attention.

"A good change, I hope."

"Sakura-san, I am so proud of you. It's a fantastic change." She honestly had no idea how much it meant to me to hear her say that. Mami and I were always at odds, I had trouble doing anything she approved of when I was younger, as regardless she had a complaint.

"Thank you, Mami... that means the world to me... Hey... are you hungry by any chance? Can I get you something to eat?"

"That sounds wonderful, actually. I'd love something."

"This way. I'll stick you with the girls who came in earlier. I'm sure they'd be glad to know there's more then one veteran." I dipped down quickly to retrieve the dropped menu as we wove between tables. I placed her in the VIP section at a table next to the girls who came in earlier, happily munching away at their dinner.

"There is a purpose to my visit, of course." Mami spoke as she sat. "I wish I could say I'm only here to catch up... but I have a question to ask."

"What's up?" I asked, placing a menu before her.

"I'd like to get us all together again... go back to Mitakihara and enjoy the friendship we had. All five of us." I thought for a moment. It would be nice to see Madoka and Homura again, not attention Say- I froze mid thought. Sayaka. "Maybe spend a few nights on the town, talk about our lives and-"

"Pass." I responded simply. Mami looked at me like she used to when I would say something she didn't approve of. She blinked twice as my answer sunk in.

"Pass, Sakura-san? Why pass?" I inhaled. "I'm sure Akemi-san isn't mad at you anymore, and I know as a fact Kaname-san wants to see you again!" I shook my head.

"Mami... it's not for those reasons... look, I owe you an explanation. One I should have given you twenty years ago. Remember the last night you saw me?"

"How could I forget. You looked dead on your feet."

"I never told you why." I reached into my pocket and found my wallet. Opening the bill fold, I retrieved a pair of ancient, ragged and tattered play tickets. I handed them to Mami. "This is why."

"Play tickets?" She asked, clearly needing more explanation.

"Nine days before that night, I had bought tickets for Sayaka and I to go see a play. Les Miserables..." Mami's face instantly reflected her shock.

"Oh my God... She turned you down...?" I couldn't help but laugh.

"Worse. She turned me down... without even hearing me out." She looked back at the faded tickets. She recoiled again, most likely seeing the seat numbers.

"Sakura-san... how much did these cost?"

"Fifty five thousand, seven hundred and sixty seven yen." I responded. It was a number I had burned into my mind. "Each." Mami looked more and more horrified as I spoke.

"That's why you were so bitter..."

"Mami... it's not about the money..." She glared at me. "Okay, so it might have been a little bit about the money, but the fact remains, she didn't even let me finish talking before blowing me off." Mami nodded, offering me the seat before her. I took it and huffed as my rear hit the seat. "It made me mad, Mami. I spend all that money on her, I call out from work for a night just for the two of us... and what do I get? 'I can't do anything with you today Kyouko bye.'" Another huff. "I spent years thinking about that day, Mami... a lot of time spent hashing those words over and over again in my head, and each time, her words become more and more hate filled..." I shook my head at her. "I'm scared, Mami. I'm scared about something a human girl did. Not a Familiar. Not a Witch. A person who I considered a friend... scares me." Grappling the back of my head with both hands, I put my forehead down onto the table. "What am I gonna do?" I felt a hand on my head.

"Sakura-san. The best thing for you to do, is to go, and confront Miki-san about your feelings... You were hoping to date her, weren't you?"

"I..." I picked my head up. "I don't know what I wanted out of that I..." I signed. "You're right. I should just go, bigger the past." Mami smiled and nodded, picking the menu up once more.

"I'm glad to see you still listen to my advice... now... I think I would like a steak, if you don't mind, Sakura-san..." I got to my feet and nodded.

"Comin' right up... Twindrills." I watched he faintest of grins appear on her face.


	3. The Stepping Stone

Chapter Three: The Stepping Stone

_'You can't live your whole life like a girl.' My father once told me. 'The world is cruel and it will not hesitate to slug you in the gut and make off with whatever you have.' I suppose in a way, I always put too much credence into what my father thought of me. I was his only child, and while I couldn't be a boy like he wanted, he'd shape me into something I could be proud of._

_Or so he thought he could. My father never knew exactly what his 'shaping' would do to his daughter. Years interning at large corporations, being a secretary for people all day... it had the opposite effect on me then my father thought._

_Day by day, paycheck by paycheck, I could feel myself get decades older by the minute. It wasn't like I could do anything about it, though. I was trapped in the endless cycle of give and take. I gave my blood sweat and tears to a corporation, only to have everything else taken from me. So here I am, thirty one, and already so tired of life._

Weakly, I turned the key in the lock, the door opening for me. Home... at last. It was pitch black in the front room as I expected it would be. I surveyed the small house, usually meant for three to four people. The dishes were still piled inhe sink, a cockroach crawling out from between a set of plates.

"Jesus Christ, Helen..." I mused. The sound of a video game came from the aforementioned woman's room. Dragging myself into the hallway, I stood in the door frame watching the girl's fixated stare at the television. "Helen." I droned once more, looking like a zombie. The girl's eye flashed over to acknowledge me.

"You're home early, Sayaka." She spoke.

"Early? It's eight." My room mate... about as no good as a girl can get. I ask her to do two simple things while I'm out, and I'm lucky if she can get one done. Looking into the living room, I notice that she did, in fact, no neither of the things I asked of her. I don't think doing the dishes in the sink and putting your laundry away is too much to ask. "Thanks for taking care of the dishes and laundry, by the way." I shouted to her as loud as I could muster.

"Huh?" Was her only response. Sighing heavily, I sat down on the couch and looked over the mail piling up on the table. At least she had no problem getting that... when she was waiting for something. Grasping at a chunk of the stack, I began to sift through it, stacking the bills and junk into separate piles. Ten minutes and one pile down, I reached for the next part. Halfway through the second part of the pile, I came across a strange floral-print envelope. It was addressed to me, my name written in flowing katakana, a language I've not spoken or read in years. The name on the return address got me gaping.

"God dammit, Helen!" I shouted at full volume.

"What I do?" She answered.

"How long has this letter been here?" There came a pause, the brunette blinking out of her room. I held up the envelope to show her.

"Oh, the gibberish one. About a week." I held back the urge to belt her over the head.

"It's not gibberish, Helen. It's in Japanese. Chances are, any envelopes that look like this." I held it closer to her. "Are for me."

"Mmm, okay." She dismissed. "Didn't know you knew anyone in Japan." I glared at her.

"Really, Helen? Do I look Anglo-Saxon to you?"

"Nah. You looking Korean." She shuffled off back to her room, leaving me fuming and grumbling. Korean? Sliding a finger under the envelope, I broke the seal and took it out and started reading. The words were tricky, as I was rusty... rusty in my native tongue... dad would be embarrassed.

"_Miki-san. I hope this letter finds you in good health. I don't know if you remember your old Sempai or not... and considering the conditions of how I left, I can imagine you don't much want to talk to me. If you do, however... if you can find it in your heart to forgive me for the folly of youth, and forgive the others as well, I'd very much like to see you again. Please, find my contact information on the enclosed card, and contact me at your earliest convenience._" Looking into the envelope, I found the card she mentioned. Email, Skype name and even... phone number. I looked once more to the name on the envelope. Mami Tomoe.

My eyes went to the phone on the table. Reaching over, I grabbed it, and before I could stop myself, I had dialed the number and was listening to the dial tone. Then a voice answered.

"Hello, konichiwaa. Thank you for calling Tomoe's tea house, Tomoe Mami speaking." I paused. Could I really do it? I opened my mouth and tried.

"H-hello... Mami-san..." I could almost hear her excitement.

"My, my! If it isn't Miki-san! I was just wondering if you shredded and or burned my letter." I chuckled a bit at (what I hoped was) her joke.

"No... it got lost in the mountain of mail on my table because... uh..." I paused for a moment, then continued in my native tongue. "_My roommate wouldn't know Japanese from Korean if it bit her in the ass_." Mami laughed at this. "What about you? What adventures are you up to back home.

"Well, I moved out of Mitakihara... remember?" I shook my head.

"No, I don't... When was this?"

"Oh... must have been about two weeks after Akemi-san did." Again, I shook my head, then chuckled.

"That was after I did... Madoka never told me..." I paused. "Although, now that I remember, I didn't talk to her much... didn't talk to many people much." I looked backback at her letter. "Is it true?"

"Mmm? Is what true?"

"That you want to talk to me again?"

"Yea. But all of you. Kaname-san, Akemi-san and Sakura-san."

"I'd love to. Certainly be better then the bullshit I put up with on a daily basis."

"Great! I'll start working on getting everyone's ticket!"

"Oh, Mami-san, you don't have to do that..."

"Shush." She responded in that motherly tone she usually had. "I insist." Defeated, I nodded and sighed.

"Okay."

"Hey, I have to go, got a customer. Talk to you later, okay?"

"Okay Mami-san. And... it's been great talking to you again."

"Same to you, Miki-san." I smiled as I hung up the phone, sighed and leaned back in the couch. "Are you going to do the damn dishes tonight, Helen, or do I need to cut the power again?"


	4. The Humanitarian

Chapter Four: The Humanitarian

_Friends. The kind of people who never abandon you, never question you, and never let you down. When my parents died twenty one years ago, more the just 'a part of me' died... some would say that it was then that Mami Tomoe died... bleeding, cold and alone in the pulverized husk of a sedan. I had been left alone; everything I had ever loved and ever known had been viciously and mercilessly raped before my very eyes. Yet I did not fear._

_It was because of this destruction of my own childhood innocence, I was able to meet four of the best girls anyone could ever ask to befriend. Crude yes, rude at times certainly, their friendship meant the world to me. I still think about them, though time and distance have wreaked havoc on our relationship. There is a book I read once... I still think about it every day. It talks about forgiveness, and what form of power can give man the ability to forgive the most grievous of one's own sins. 'To forgive is to take the sin into one's own body, to show that you are not above error. To forgive is to transcend mortality and ascend into immortality, if only for a time'._

_We had gone through more hell then five teenaged girls should have. We had seen our share of violence and death, and had even come to expect that not all of us could survive the night, and none of us would live to see adulthood. When I would grow from a girl to a woman, however...? What would I find?_

"We're closed today, I'm sorry." I called to the knock at my door. "If you come back on Monday, however, we'll be open then." I hatred closing when I was wasn't scheduled to. Made me feel cheap and a bit like a bitch. I had been meaning to clean my attic for a while now, and putting it off further was counterintuitive to my personality. I already had half the contents strewn about the floor of my little tea house... well, alright, it was my house, but I ran the tea house from it, if you really want to get technical. Tables pushed aside and papers strewn about the floor, I was neck-deep in cleaning when I found it. "Oh my Lord..." I mused, staring at the picture in my hand. It was one of five girls, three in the front, two in the back. The pink-haired girl in the front had her arms around a blonde and raven haired girl, a huge smile plastered on her youthful face. In the back was a redhead dancing furiously at a DDR machine, while a blue haired girl held two plastic rifles as she played a hunting game.

I knew them all. Turning the picture over, I read what I had written on the back, my flowing handwriting having changed little over the years. 'Walpurgisnacht, May 14th, 2012'. This was taken the day we... I couldn't stop the tears from wiggling their way onto my face. We looked so happy, so content with one another's company. "Kaname-san..." I mused, a finger sliding gently down the face of the young girl in the center, her vibrant pink hair an outward reflection of her brilliant personality. "Sakura-san... Miki-san..." The redhead and blue haired girl respectively. These girls are... _were_... my friends. We'd done everything together. I'd have died for any one of them. I still remember the day I left.

-Mitakihara. Nineteen Years Ago-

"Things just go from bad to worse..." Madoka spoke, her face dismal with a look of both sadness and disappointment. I stayed quiet, the cup of tea in my hand growing colder by the moment. I stared into the brackish liquid, hoping the murk would reveal the lost answers to questions unasked. Madoka had come to me to seek advice about what to do. With both Akemi-san and Sakura-san gone, I struggled to imagine what might be going through her head. "Mami-san?" She finally uttered, breaking my concentration and pulling my eyes to hers. "You've been quiet..."

"Apologies, Kaname-san... I'm afraid the last week has taken quite a toll on me. You were saying?" I tried to be that beacon of hope for her, just as I had tried for Akemi-san and the others but... there was little in regards to a 'bright side' to this situation.

"I was just saying that with Homura-chan and Kyouko-chan gone... it's going to be extra hard for you, Sayaka-chan and I." I swallowed hard, putting the cup down. I had dreaded this day.

"Kaname-san..." I began, fighting with myself to find the right words. "I'm... going away too." I watched her look at me with this strange puzzled stare; like a deer looking at an oncoming train. I couldn't bear to look at her any longer, her eyes pleading for the answer to questions that I just couldn't provide. "I've been... offered a chance, Kaname-san. A chance to get my life started. Now that I'm sixteen; with full access to my parent's iinheritance, I'm going to move to... to California and open a tea shop there... I've had this little fantasy for a year or so now and... well... this is a kind of opportunity I'd be loath to pass up..." Tears welled in her eyes.

"Mami-san..." I shook my head. She'd try to talk me out of it, she'd cry and guilt trip me, but I couldn't stay.

"Kaname-san... I've already got the ticket... my plane leaves on Monday..." As I spoke, I could still not bring myself to look at her. It was too hurtful, but I had no reason to stay in this city any longer. With Kyouko gone, I _couldn't _stay in this city for much longer. I wanted them to come with me... truth be told, before Homura and Kyouko left, I had planned to bring all of them with me. We'd all move to America and live the American Dream together... but I guess that was over now. I'm sure once Sayaka figured out I was leaving, she'd be none too happy with me, and her bitterness would no doubt rub off on Madoka... the two are so close. I had even been keeping the fact that I've been learning English a secret from them.

"I can't... talk you out of it then, can I Mami-san?" Another quick shake of my head. I felt her arms wrap around me, a cold comfort as my heart froze in my chest. "Go chase your dream, Mami-san. Don't let me teather you here any longer." I felt myself shrink at her words. I couldn't say anything, sitting like an idiot as he gave me a final hug. "Please, Mami-san. Don't hesitate about contacting me. I wanna hear all about the big success you'll be." She stood and walked to the door, a soft almost sarcastic smile playing at the edges of her lips.

Her exit had been all I could take. As she shut the door silently behind her, I collapsed to the table. I had abandoned her... just as Homura and Kyouko had abandoned us, I had turned my back to our friendship for my own selfish means. I cried silently that night, quietly hating myself for what I had said and what I had done.

Four days later, Monday, I collected the things I was bringing, which as it happened was most of my earthly possessions, and met the cab at the front door. I hadn't stopped crying in all those four days, and when I stepped into the cab that morning, I had trouble speaking straight. Madoka's words stuck in my head as I sat in the taxi, and persisted even as I checked in with the airline. Leaving was the single hardest thing I had ever done.

-Malibu. Present-

California was vastly different from Mitakihara, and I can't say I regret leaving completely. I also can't say that it was the best decision I could have made. The last nineteen years have been really hard on me. What would everyone think of their old sempai now? Thirty three and fives times divorced... I held the picture to my chest and sighed. I wanted to see them again.

"You hold onto the past too much." Came a voice from my window. Yelping, I turned to face the source, a small white creature having found it's way into my house. Frowning deeply, I stood and turned away.

"Kyubey." I growled, quickly drying my eyes. "I thought I made it explicitly clear I didn't want to see again, not after those creative lies you told us."

"'Creative lies'... 'nessecary untruths'... really, it's quite the same when you think about it." He fell quiet for a moment as we let our pasts settle in. Kyubey had saved me, of that there was no doubt... but I often think what the cost of his 'rescue' was. I could feel his eyes boring into the back of my skull. "Aren't you going to ask?"

"Ask what?" I spat back. Kyubey was the last thing I wanted to see.

"How I found you. You left Mitakihara so fast then... almost as if some allegorical devil were after you... Tomoe, you do know the devil doesn't exist, right?" I turned around and stared at him.

"He does exist, Kyubey. And I'm looking right at him." He sat on my window sil, his tail swaying back and forth before he answered a few seconds later.

"Cute... but insults both petty and deep will get you nowhere." Another meaningless pause. "They're still alive, you know, despite the hazard and the vast amount of distance and danger that distance places on all of you... by some miracle the five of you are still alive."

"_What_?" I glowered at him. He didn't seem to pick up on my anger, just continuing like nothing.

"Your former acquaintances from Mitakihara. They are all alive, surprisingly."

"You leave them alone you little shit-head... You hear me?!" I barked, closing the distance between us in a flash, grappling the creature by the collar. He paused his red eyes staring unendingly through me.

"I'm trying to help you, Tomoe. I couldn't help but see how you long to meet them again... and to that end, I am willing to help." Throwing him to the ground I scoffed.

"Five times, Kyubey. That's how many times I've fallen for a man's lies in the last nineteen years, not to mention the countless times I fell for yours."

"I only want to be kind to a dear friend..."

"'Kind', Kyubey? You don't have a damn 'kind' bone in your whole body. Why should I believe you?" His mouth twisted a bit more into a cruel smile.

"Because I know you. You're determined to see them again now that you know their alive, and your only two options to do so is either accept my help... or scour the globe searching for them. No contest, if you ask me." I frowned. The rat had me dead to rights, and I couldn't find a way out. Now I knew Akemi-san's frustration at him...

"I will accept your help... but only because I have no choice." He nodded.

"I thought you would see things my way."

"I _do not_ see things 'your way'. I simply agree that if I want to get in contact with them again... and I do... I need your help. _Nothing more. _You and I are not friends, anymore... not after what you did to Shizuma-san." I thought I saw him smile more.

"Ah yes. Sad story that." Sad nothing, you albino son of a bitch... You _murdered_ her, and you know it. "I will tell you their addresses. Nothing more. Get a pen as I won't repeat myself."

He was true to his word. I did a little perusing after he left, and found that none of the places he had given me were cemeteries or condemned buildings, so I found my best stationary and tried to think of the best way to put all of this...

By day's end, I had written three letters, and had a plane ticket to New York lined up... Kyouko I could visit in person... Akemi-san was living on a military base in London, Miki-san lived on a university campus, and Kaname-san still had her old address from way back when. I was positively giddy as I put those letters in the post, thinking about how much they've changed (or maybe how much they've stayed the same), the thoughts of what we'd do now that we were going to be together again... possibility after possibility swimming about gleefully through my head. As I placed the letters in the slot, I held the picture to my chest and smiled.

"Soon, my friends... we'll be together again, soon."


	5. The Dancer

Chapter Five: The Dancer

_'Be a good girl' my mother always taught me. 'Don't lie, don't steal, and don't cheat'. It's something I tried to live up to. 'Good things always come to good girls, Madoka. Never forget that.' I never did forget her words... unfortunately her words only reflected an ideal world. My mother died when I was twenty three. Moreover, a few months after she died, the New Millenium funding that kept that city alive for years ran out. As quickly as you can breathe, shimmering buildings decayed into husks, roads cracked and split, and people left in droves._

_Even moreso, my own friends, people I had grown up with for the past few years all left. One by one, my life became more and more vacant. The entire side of town I was born and raised in was slowly demolished. School became drug den. Office complex became brewery. Home became strip club. Which is what happened to my home. After my parents died, my house was bought up by the bank and demolished, replaced by a strip club. I was offered a very... 'lucrative' position, allowed to continue to live where I used to, under the condition that I work at the club._

_And now, here I am... thirty two and a stripper for a living. My twenty one year old brother, the doctor, doesn't even know his big sister takes her clothes off for a living. I don't suspect he ever will._

"You okay?" Came a voice to my side, causing me to turn, a smiling blonde haired woman looking at me. Her red eyes were accented by a thick black eyeliner, her lips a brilliant crimson. I simply shook my head, smiled and nodded.

"Yea... sorry, I was just thinking."

"Well, I hope you were thinking about what you're going to wear on stage, Maddy, because you're on in fifteen minutes." I looked down at my watched and groaned.

"Dammit, I completely lost track of time." Looking back in the mirror, I quickly finished up my makeup, then stood. "Thanks Aly, where would I be without you?"

"Madoka Madoka Madoka Madoka Madoka!" Came a voice behind me, arms wrapping around my neck. "Hey. How's my favorite candy girl?" I laughed as a familiar voice toyed with me.

"Hey, Sayaka." I responded, twirling about. She was a blue-haired girl with wonderful violet eyes, eyes that I fell in love with almost instantly. Sayaka... She looks a bit like another Sayaka I knew... jeez, years ago. Her hair, a simple azure color, is just like the other Sayaka I knew... but this one was a bit sweeter then the old one.

_Sayaka... how long has it been since we saw each other last? The last I saw you..._

-Nineteen Years Ago-

A younger Madoka, her hair a vibrant pink and eyes unmarred by any signs of age, ran down the street, heaving and panting as her legs whined, _begged_ for her to stop and rest. She couldn't. She just couldn't stop, she couldn't run the risk of her leaving before she said goodbye. Good-bye. God, she's known this girl for years... _years_ and she just packs up and leaves? The hell? It's a good thing she didn't stop, either. Madoka, seventeen, stopped before the moving van as she watched Sayaka freeze, mid entrance into the van.

"Kaname-san..." Sayaka mused, frowning deeply, her age showing vividly on her forehead. Even her speech patterns have changed towards the girl, from a warm friendship to a cold professionalism.

"Say-Say..." Madoka couldn't speak as she couldn't breathe. She just stood there, heaving and panting on the sidewalk, looking at the ground. "Sayaka-chan..." She finally got out, looking up at Sayaka, who only looked away. "Stay..."

"I can't, Kaname-san..." Sayaka mused. "Dad's got a job offer, and I don't have a job here. I've got to go with my parents..." She sounded as if she didn't relish this thought at all.

"But..." Madoka heaved once more. "But the group..."

"What 'group', Kaname-san?" Madoka looked hurt at the question, the pointed way she said 'group' chilled her to the bone. "That bitch Homura had a hissy fit and left. Kyouko's being Kyouko and left, too. The only 'group' left here is you and Tomoe-san... and let's face it... not much to go on." She looked woefully down at the ring on her finger and sighed. "I'm not a little girl anymore, Kaname-san. I've got to give up fighting for working. I've got to put down my childhood, and pick up the cold, hard fact that I'm _not getting any younger_." She pulled the ring from her pocket and stuffed it into the pocket of her jeans. "I'm not a Puella Magi anymore, Kaname-san. I'm just a young woman with a future to look forward to."

"Sayaka-chan..."

"I'd prefer 'Miki-san', if it's all the same to you. I'm not a child anymore." Madoka stood, staring stunned as Sayaka shut the moving van door behind her and nod to the older man in the driver's seat, her father, letting him know she was ready. Madoka held her breath as the truck pulled out of the parking space of her apartment building and turned the corner. She didn't release her breath until the van was gone out of sight. Her knees gave out and she fell to the concrete. Over the course of a few months, all of her friends had left her. Sayaka never even knew that Mami had left the week prior. With that van leaving Madoka's life, she found herself stripped of all of her friends.

-Present-

I had never told Sayaka how much her friendship meant to me, how many days I had gone after that night kicking and swearing at myself for not trying hard... to keep Homura and Kyouko here... to help Mami look for an alternative to moving away... _something_ to help alleviate this feeling of... of... uselessness I harbor now. I had somehow migrated to the closet and found a familiar cute little pink froofy dress, a petticoat keeping the skirt up. It was an almost exact copy of the same outfit I wore into battle nineteen years ago, save for the red, slightly enlarged shoes it used to have, were now red knee-high boots, and the gloves were elbow length now. Less magical girl, more stripper. Sayaka... this Sayaka, sorry... Sayaka had found it in a sketch book of mine and ordered it for me. Deftly putting it on, I gave my hair one last tossle to assure it had the right bounce to their pigtails, I took my place.

"Alright, Kaname-san." Came a woman's voice, the manager of the establishment. She was a nice sort, always treated the girls nice and was sure that no one got too touchy-feely for her liking. She looked at me and blinked. "You alright, Madoka-san?" She asked, pulling my attention back.

"Yeah... yeah I'm fine. Why?"

"You look a little... fighty. They've not announced you... you don't have to go on if you don't feel up to it." I put a hand to my stomach, to check if it churned at all. No churning stomach.

"No... no, thank you. I think I'll go on. I'll just take it easy."

"Easy and attractive, remember." She mused, then nodded. Through the slit in the curtain, I could see the electronic board that held the name of the next dancer, and right under the current one was my name. I chose not to give out my real name; dancing under the name 'Arrow of Heaven', because more then once I've run into some old acquaintances from school. That's... messy. As Kirin, the stage name for a blonde co-worker of mine, finished her routine, she turned towards the whooping and hollaring crowd, bent at her waist real low to give them a shot of her rear, then blew a kiss over her shoulder to the crowd. Typical Kirin. Kirin walked through the curtain and smiled to me.

"Got 'em all hot and bothered for you, Maddy." She drew a little line on my shoulder as she walked past. "Give them all you've got and more."

-A Little While Earlier-

"_The List!"_ A voice called, the crowd cheering him as he held a paper high above his head. "I have in my hand! The list of those who have passed this year's finals!" The young man called, the crowd simmering down as he started to read names, the named men and women cheering for the called name.

"...I said... _Kaname. Tatsuyo!_" The man barked in my ear, practically making me crap myself.

"Jesus, Harako... I'm right here, you don't have to freaking yell."

"Dude, you passed. You're a doctor now!"

"_Nurse Practitioner_, if you please." I responded with a glare. "I'm not a full doctor yet. I don't want anyone calling me 'Doctor Kaname'..." Harako laughed a hearty laugh and slapped my shoulder.

"You're still in Study-Land, Tatsuyo. You need to unwind."

"No I don't." I answered quickly, shutting the book and grabbing another. His hand stopped mine as he took the book from me.

"You passed. Studying is shit. Come on, man, let's celebrate a little! Unwind." I had been studying hard these last few weeks, and my eyes felt heavy...

"Fine... only because I'm tired of reading..." Harako laughed loud once more, almost deafening me. Rolling my eyes and running a hand through my messy brown hair I sighed. "Do you have to do that every time."

"Yes. Now come on, we're going to the strip club." He spoke, collecting another few men.

"We're going to the what now?!" I stammered perplexed. "Never in that did you say we were going to a damn _strip club_."

"Oh come on, Kaname. Don't pull the 'mightier then thou' card on me now. You're twenty one! It's almost a requirement that you visit the local Booby Bar at least once." Another roll of my eyes.

"Don't call it a 'Booby Bar', Harako. It's even more demeaning then the place already is, and it's disgusting."

"I know a stripper you're going to love. Pretty little thing. 'Bit older, but you like older women anyway, don't you?" I wanted to slap him _so hard_ right now, I was physically restraining myself. I had agreed to go, however, and I couldn't just back out. I let him pile me into the back of his pickup truck along with another of the graduates, as his front seat was filled to the brim with random junk and nonesense. After a forty minute drive, we arrived at the strip club he had told us about, a pretty decent looking place called The Last Call. Unlike the other clubs in the city, which had tacky, eighties style neon signs of dancing girls and kicking legs, this one had nothing on the outside, save for a fairly large sign on the door which read 'ADULTS ONLY'.

Showing our IDs and paying the relatively modest cover fee, we all found a seat about halfway away from the stage. We had come in just near the beginning of a girl's dance, a girl who danced under the name Kirin, if the billboard next to the stage was any clue.

"Yo! Kaname-kun! We're in luck. That girl I told you about? She's up next!" I looked at the 'Next Up' category on the billboard, the name 'Arrow of Heaven' shown.

"'Arrow of Heaven'?" I asked.

"Yeah! It's 'cause she'll pierce your heart and send you falling, just like an arrow from Heaven." I rolled my eyes. That was the silliest, most childish thing I've heard in a while.

Kirin's dance lasted about three minutes before she sauntered off the stage, after giving us a nice eye-full of her butt, much to the crowd's delight. There was a slight delay before the next dancer arrived. As it turned out, 'Arrow of Heaven' wasn't just older then me. She was about ten years older, maybe a little more. She had pink hair pulled into two pigtails off the side of her head and she wore the... cutest... pink...

"Jesus Christ in heaven..." I muttered, unable to take my eyes off the woman.

"What's up, Kaname-kun? You look like you've seen a ghost." My finger slowly rose to point at the girl rolling her hips and flashing the crowd in that tight pink dress.

"I know her."

"Really?" My friend spoke, smiling. "How so? You slept with her or something?"

"You... could say that in a way..." I couldn't believe I was seeing this. "That's... that's my sister... Madoka..." He looked at me, then at the dancer, then back to me, and then exploded into a flurry of hysterical laughter.

"Yer kidding me! That's your sister!?" I couldn't speak, I just nodded and continued to watch as, piece by piece, the pink dress started to come off. Gloves first, then the boots. It was graceful how she deftly removed such heavy boots. Turning her back to the crowd, her arms unzipped the back of the dress. Oh thank god, a bra. I hope that stays on...

"Yo Tatsuyo? Tat? You alive?" Harako asked, waving his hand in front of my face. My sister... is not only taking her clothes off in front of me... but she's doing it for _money_?! I tried not to watch. I tried to divert my attention. I tried to cover my eyes... do _something_ to spare me this show!

Thankfully, Madoka _hadn't_ taken any of her underwear off. At least she had _that_ much self-respect. At the end of the show, an impressive five and a half minutes, the crowd exploded into a roar of cheers as the sound of coins and practically anything of value piling into the jar with 'Arrow of Heaven' written on it. At the end of it all, I couldn't stop myself. "I'll... I'll be right back."

Charging up to the door which lead backstage, I was stopped by an intimidating man in a black shirt. "Help you?" He asked, holding a hand up.

"I want to speak to Mad- Arrow of Heaven." He looked at a list in his hand.

"Arrow ain't got any personal meetings scheduled today. Why'dya wanna see her?"

"_I'm her brother, god dammit._" I growled to him. He looked at me and blinked simply, like there was nothing between his ears.

"Name?"

"Kaname Tatsuyo. Tell her I want to see her for a bit." With a slow nod, he pointed at the ground.

"Wait here. Be right back."

-At That Same Time-

"Good show, Maddy!" Sayaka called, giving me a huge hug. "I saw the whole thing, you had the crowd eating out of your hand."

"Well... ya know. Been doin' this a while... know what I'm doing." I answered modestly. Sayaka simply smiled and bonked my head lightly.

"Dork. Why can't you revel in your own awesome once in a while." She paused, then nodded. "Oh! This came for you earlier today by the-" Whatever she had started to give me was interrupted by a knock at the door. Opening it was our bouncer.

"Sorry ta interrupt ya, ladies, but you got a visitor, Arrow."

"I'm not taking any private showings today."

"Guy by the name of Tatsuyo. Says he's your brother." All of the color drained out of my face.

"Tah-Tah-Tah-_Tatsuyo_?!"

"Yah. Want me to tell him to scram?"

"_Nah-no!_" I barked back, mind racing. "Tell him... I'll be right there..." Sayaka looked too pleased with this.

"You have a _brother_?! Why am I just _now_ hearing about this! I wanna meet him!"

"Sayaka, stop... my brother... he's... _conventional_. Painfully so. He doesn't approve of... strippers or..." I lowered my voice. "...lesbians..." Sayaka chuckled some, which slowly turned into a full laugh, then an explosive guffaw. Hardening my eyes at Sayaka, I tried to suppress the urge to thwack her across the head one. "Sayaka, this is _serious_." She calmed down and nodded.

"I know, I know... I'm sorry Maddy. Don't worry. I'll keep out of your hair." Nodding to her, I gave a little bow.

"Thank you..." Turning to the bouncer, I nodded at him. "Bring him to the back and ask him to wait there... Gotta give me ten minutes to get dressed..." I paled a bit more... how much of that dance did Tatsuyo see?

Ten minutes passed before I had emerged from my dressing room, wearing a pair of torn jeans and a black t-shirt. Stopping before the door, beyond which my brother had an immeasurable amount of questions for me I didn't doubt, I took a deep breath and prepared myself for anything and everything he could throw at me. Eleven years younger then me, and he scared me. With a final push, I stepped across the threshold and prayed. He was sitting on the couch in the corner, arms crossed, looking a mix of hurt,confusion and rage.

"H-hello..." I started meekly, standing just on the other side of the aluminum door.

"'Hello' seems a pretty weak greeting, Madoka... all things considered." His words cut me deeper then any blade or Witch's attack ever could. "When we're you going to tell me? Did you even plan on informing me that my sister, a person I _look_ _up to_ and _respect_, took her clothes off in _public_ and on _stage_ for a living?"

I floundered for a moment, unable to say anything for a few seconds. He stared at me with this accusing glare, as if he was trying to tear my soul from my body... heh... nineteen years too late for that.

"Are you going to say anything, or just stand there like an idiot?" I can only take so much of this before- "Did you squander your half of mom and dad's inheritance already?" _Snap_. I lost it.

"_Squander_? Tatsuyo, what the hell kind of woman do you take me for? You think I'm doing this because I _have to_? You think I visually sell my body to _thousands_ of people a _night_, because I'm _irresponsible_?" My turn to scowl. "Do you want to know where my half of mom and dad's money went?" Bolting from the couch, he glared at me.

"I do! I want to know what the hell was so important you'd-"

"_I'm looking right at it!_" I finally exploded, pink eyes boring into him. His expression turned soft as I spoke these words. He took a step back and looked at me like a kicked puppy. "Your school, and your future meant more to me then anything I could have ever wanted or bought in this world." My anger dissolved into tears as I confessed at which I've kept hidden almost ten years. "You always wanted to be a doctor... ever since dad died. You wanted to make damn sure what happened to him... to mom and the rest of us... never happened to anyone ever again. I couldn't be more proud... but then I did some numbers... and your half couldn't cover all of it. With my half? With my half I could. I sacrificed my future for yours, Tatsuyo. So yes. I'm broke and living in the apartments above a strip club... but you have a future. I'm happy." Tatsuyo's mouth gaped a few times, like a fish struggling to breathe out of water. He was so shocked, so taken aback by my response, he physically could not think of something to say to me.

"Madoka... Christ, Madoka, why didn't you tell me this sooner? I... dammit, I feel like such a fool..." I couldn't stay mad at him forever and my composure broke, sitting next to him on the couch, pulling him into my arms.

"I was going to, Tatsuyo. I just was going to wait until after you graduated. I didn't want you to have to go through med school being a stripper's brother... men are horrible, and I wanted to spare you that..." I listened to him laugh, taken back by the sudden change.

"Well, you succeeded. Graduated today." His smile returned, a confidence in his tone I've not seen in a while.

"No shit?" I asked, grinning as I gave him a bit of breathing room. "Congrats you! Momma and dad would be super proud of you!" He my quiet for a moment before nodding.

"I think that, despite your current... profession..." He smiled at me sweetly, giving me another tight hug. "...Mom and dad would be really proud of you, too." He paused for a moment, then stood. "I should probably get back before they think something happened to me... those two are a riot to try to control." I nodded and walked with him to the door.

"Oh... and uhm... come back and see me sometime?" I smiled in that certain way I always did when I was teasing him. "Give you a special rate on a private dance..." He chortled at my comment, then nodded.

"Ya know... I think I just might do that. Could I get one of those posters with you posing on it? Think I'm gonna hang it in my office when I get a practice." I gave him my best smile I could and nodded firmly once.

"I can definitely do that." We parted ways.

It was strange. I had run hundreds of scenarios through my head of how the revelation would go, but none of them ever ended this well. I practically pranced back to my dressing room to find Sayaka there sitting at her vanity, doing her makeup.

"Welcome back, Maddy. How'd it go?"

"Surprisingly good, actually. He took it hard at first, but once I gave him my position, he saw things my way." Sayaka gave me a big smile as I sat down, then a kiss on the cheek once she could pry herself from her reflection.

"I'm happy for you, Maddy. That letter you got is around there somewhere." I wasn't terribly interested, to be completely honest.

"Meh. Who was it from? I have no money, so screw 'em if it's a bill..."

"Don't think it was too important. Letter from a... Mami somethingerother." I paused. Why the hell does that name sound so familiar?

"'Mami somethingerother'?" Sayaka nodded and gave a grunt of agreement.

"Mami... Tomoe, I think." A spike of frost bolted through my veins. I feel as though I know this person... scrambling around my vanity, I searched frantically for the letter, finally finding it hiding under my foundation and last month's copy of Glamor Girl. The writing on the envelope was in flowing, beautiful handwriting, letters flowing into each other, creating a symphony of ink on the flower envelope. 'Madoka Kaname' it said on the front, along with both our addresses. Los Angeles... Mami's going up in the world. Opening the envelope and removing the perfectly folded page within, I took a sharp breath in, and read.

"_Kaname-san... I do hope this letter finds you well. I don't know if you remember me or not, nor do I know of you even care to hear from me again but... I want all of us to be able to look at one another again without turning away. You, Akemi-san, Sakura-san, and Miki-san..." _I froze dead where I stood. I remember all of them now... Homura, Sayaka, Kyouko, and... and Mami. Memories flooded back like the Fukushima tsunami, happy and sad thoughts crashing into my mind in equal measure. I had to close my eyes to keep myself from crying.

"Maddy? Are you alright? You look disturbed..." Sayaka... Sayaka I could trust to give it to me straight.

"I don't know, Sayaka... it's from a friend I've not seen in almost twenty years..." I paused. "See, there were five of us in total. We were such good friends... She wants all of us to get back together but... I don't know." Sayaka listened to what I said, the strangest look of seriousness upon her face.

"Do you still consider even one of them a friend?" I nodded without a second thought.

"Of course I do! We... had a falling out... shit, I don't even remember what about, but I remember it was stupid. I don't think I should go... maybe not even acknowledge the letter?"

"Kaname Madoka, that is rude. I think you should go." Another phantom chill raced up my spine. Why didn't I want to go? "Do I have to be a bitch?" I quirked an eyebrow at her. "Remember the first song you and I danced to on our first date?" I shook my head.

"Sayaka, no. Don't you sing that song. You know it makes me cry!" Sayaka only smiled and did the exact opposite of what I said.

_"As we go on / We remember / All the times we / Had together._" Memories came back, her hand in mine as we danced until the small hours of the morning, her head leaning on my shoulder as the song played gently in our ears. Her body pressed tightly to my own, her heart gently beating in her chest, the steady raising and lowering of her body as she took breath. We had received several strange looks throughout the night, but the few who remained to that hour could offer us nothing but smiles and well-wishes. "_And as our lives change / Come whatever / We will still be / Friends forever._" As I remembered breaking into tears then, I followed example today.

As my eyes boiled over with tears, I took a look at Sayaka, the only person I knew who could bring me here. Exploding into a chorus of heaving sobs, I collapsed into Sayaka's arms, holding her tight. There was a kind, understanding smile on her lips as she held me, her breathing and heartbeat softly thumping against my chest as we cuddled. "Maddy..." She finally spoke, forcing me to look her in the eyes. "Why does that song make you cry? It's a sweet song..."

"But..." I heaved, trying to catch my breath between bouts of uncontrollable sadness. "But everything I hear it..." I snuggled, trying to banish my tears. "I can't help but think about them...!" I broke down again, falling back to her shoulder, burying my face into her exposed neck. "...and I feel..." Another heave and sniff. "...I just feel like such a fool because... because..." Another. "...Because I didn't do enough to keep them together... they hate each other now... Because I'm a horrible friend..." Sayaka simply held me like my mother would when I was younger, a gentle hand rubbing my back as she tried to comfort me.

"Maddy... Maddy, you're not a horrible friend."

"I am... I am and they know it...!" Sayaka scoffed playfully and held me at arms length.

"Madoka, how long have we been dating?" I rubbed my eyes before continuing.

"Fuh-four years..." I managed to choke out.

"Four years. Do you think you would have kept me if you were really a horrible friend? Do you think so low of yourself... of me... that you'd devalue your opinion... my opinion of you... like this?" She paused as I shook my head. A smile. "You're right. I don't give myself to people freely, and I certainly don't give myself to horrible people." She stroked my cheek and delved deep into my cloudy eyes with her own pure, violet spheres. Leaning forward just a hair, her warm lips grazed across mine, a sweet aroma greeting my nostrils. Lips parting for a second was all the invitation I needed to slip a kiss to her. Dexterous as wind, Sayaka got from her chair and sat in my lap while never breaking our kiss. Her fingers wound through my hair, gripping and tugging at my strands, desperately scraping for whatever hold they could find. As her chest pressed against mine, I felt her heart race with the velocity it did when we first kissed on that rainy doorstep four years ago. It was then I remembered what attracted me to her first... it wasn't her eyes nor was hair. It had nothing to do with her looks at all. I fell in love with her, simply because she knew me better then I even knew myself. She knew me best, and loved me for who and what I really was.

"So... you really think I should go?" I asked after languishing the taste of her lips for a time longer. She smiled at me; a gaze of pure contentment, and sighed softly.

"I believe you should give friendship a second chance, regardless of the risk." She rubbed my side idly, her soft fingers stroking cotton-covered skin. "Just... before you leave..." Her hand traced farther down my side, coming to the denim jeans on my legs, any further descent was stopped by my hand catching hers.

"Sayaka Richards, you dirty little nympho you! Not in public..." She growled that 'I wanna do you so hard' growl she does when she's turned on.

"You're just so hot right now." I rolled my eyes at her. So predictable. I looked back down at the letter to continue reading.

"..._I want us all to be able to look at the last nineteen years and see the same thing I do; a dreadful mistake that we can all learn from if we just stop being foolish. I wish to hear from you again, Kaname-san. Please, send me an email, or contact me on Skype at your earliest convenience. I miss you, Kaname-san, and I want to see you again. Still a close friend._

_Mami Tomoe"_

-Later That Night-

The letter Mami had sent me included her email and Skype name on a separate card, and as I sit at my own laptop at home, Sayaka sound asleep in the queen sized bed behind me, I stare at the 'add new contact' option on Skype. Well, Kaname? You going to go through with it? Inhaling, I type 'Twindrill-san' into the window and pressed enter. Almost instantly, I got an acceptance, and a few short seconds later, the program buzzed as a 'Incoming Call' window popped up. My hands shook as I accepted.

Greeting me was a face I hand't seen in nigh on twenty years. The woman before me had long blonde hair and soft, yet strangely piercing amber eyes, she dressed as if she just got out of bed. A soft smile greeted me. "Kaname-san... it's so good to see your face again." I couldn't help it smile, thoughts of how Mami made me feel returned.

"Mami-san." I responded, hoping she didn't mind the slight informality. "So... uh... how goes things?" I asked in a stunted tone, trying not to wake Sayaka.

"They go. Surprise surprise, you'd be the second person I'd hear from, no surprise you'd do so personally. Akemi-san emailed me yesterday." I frowned as I remembered Homura and Mami's last exchange.

"How did _that_ go?" I asked, watching Mami smile.

"Akemi-san was subdued... maybe a little sad if I read her right... but it went rather well, I think." I couldn't help but smile at this. If Homura was willing to forgive, maybe there was hope for the rest of us...?

"Homura-chan always was quiet, can't quite blame her for that, can we?" Mami laughed like she did in the old days, and I couldn't help but want to talk to her more and more. As the night wore on, got closer to four and five AM, I finally had to end it, her face running over with fatigue.

"I should let you go it's... jeez, what time is it there?" Mami looked at her computer, smiling gently.

"It's noon..."

"Aaaah!" I wailed, surprised at the time differences. "I'm sorry, Mami-san, I didn't know it was so late!"

"Kaname-san... voice..."

"Mmmm... Maddy, who are you talking to?" Came Sayaka's voice behind me. I turned around, embarrassed to have woken her.

"S...sorry Sayaka..."

"Is that Miki-san?!" Mami asked, causing me to turn back to her.

"N-no... it's uhm..." I turned to Sayaka. "Are you awake enough to meet someone?" A pause before her response.

"Sure..." She groaned, getting out of bed and shuffling to the computer.

"Mami-san, this is Sayaka Richards... She, uh..."

"Girlfriend." Sayaka answered for me, waving a bit.

"Well Kaname-san, I didn't think you really were that way..."

"Times change, and so do people." Sayaka answered with a little smile. She hugged me awkwardly through the chair and gave my head a kiss. "Come to bed when you're done." I responded with a little grunt and a wave.

"Before I sign off Kaname-san, I wanted to ask if you were okay with us coming to Mitakihara for our reunion." I thought for a moment.

"A lot's changed. It's not the city you remember..." Her eyes said it all. "I'll be honest, Mami-san. Mitakihara is dead. No one lives here anymore. People arrive by train from Tokyo Friday night, their pockets heavy with money earned, and they spend it all on cheap alcohol and cheaper women. Then, on Sunday night, they pile back onto trains for home, drunk with drink and sex, just to do it all over again. It's not a pretty city but... it's home for me."

"Request still stands. Mitakihara will always be my home." I nodded to her.

"I would like that..."


	6. Welcome to Mitakihara

Chapter Six: Welcome to Mitakihara

The single most awkward feeling I had ever felt. It's the only way I can describe this churning in my gut. Here I was on a train, watching the Japanese countryside fly by me. "Ugh..." I growled as my stomach did loops. The woman beside me smiled, and laughed a bit. "Have you ever done anything that your stomach just screams 'no you idiot, turn back!' but you made a promise, and you're not going back?" Great. Now I was rambling to a complete stranger. The redhead nodded a bit and closed her eyes.

"Sometimes, when your mind says run, and your heart says stay... You have to listen to your heart." I nodded and tried to settle my stomach. "Where's your last stop tonight?"

"Mitakihara." I responded, the redhead's eyes lighting up.

"Mitakihara, huh?" The redhead nodded. "I go to Mitakihara every Friday. Good place if you're looking to loose a lot of money." A beat. "Why are you going there? You don't look like a gambler."

"Gambler?"

"Yeah. Mitakihara is the Vegas of the East. Has been for... Oh... fifteen or so years." I blinked. Had my hometown really turned into such a cesspool in such a short time? I shivered to think what kind of horrors were happening in there today... maybe I shouldn't think about it too much... May not be healthy for me. "Oh, see?" The woman continues, pointing out the window. "You can see it from here."

Mitakihara was definitely not what I remembered. No more shining beacons piercing the heavens, alight with hope and happiness. The towers were dark, now; the buildings run down and decrepit. The city looked like a wasteland from some post-nuclear apocalypse. I shivered once again. "We'll be pulling into the station in a couple of minutes." She continued. "Name's Sveta, by the way." The woman offered me her hand, which I took.

"Kyouko... pleasure to meet you." She nodded, turning my hand around.

"What a pretty ring... My daughter has one just like it..." These words made me sadder then my first glimpse at the city.

-Mitakihara Train Station-

I was petrified. I couldn't move, couldn't think nor could I breathe. Nineteen years we've gone without seeing each other, would I even recognize them?

"You could try looking less miserable. Madoka." Came a stiff voice beside me. Lifting my head, my eyes fell upon a raven haired woman dressed in a camo jacket and matching fatigues. I recognized her instantly.

"Homura-chan!" Springing up, I grappled her in the tightest embrace I could, the girl laughing as her composure broke. "I missed you I missed you I missed you sooooooo much!" I rambled, not caring about grammar or what have you. Homura dropped her bag and returned my hug, her powerful arms lifting me up. "Waaaugh!" I wailed, surprised to be hoisted so easily. "I forgot how strong you were."

"I don't get a hug?" Came another voice, causing us both to turn. Standing there was a blond- Mami!

"Mami-san!" I turned about and gave her a hug.

"I can't." Homura responded casually. "Can't get my arms around those massive breasts of yours." A smirk crossed her lips as Mami laughed.

"You dork. Come here." Mami had her hair up in those ringlets I remembered her having when she was younger. She pulled Homura into a hug, which the raven haired woman made no attempt to stop.

"What do we have here? A gaggle of giggling girls?" Turning, we saw Kyouko... man she's changed...

"Who are you again?" Came Homura with a smile. Kyouko was in a white chef's coat with black jeans, short red hair cropped in a bob.

"Kyouko-chan... What happened to your hair?!" It was the first thing I noticed.

"Meh. One of the chuckle brains who works for me set my hair on fire a few weeks back. Burnt it to my shoulders. I just trimmed he burnt bits off and did this. It'll grow back." Kyouko looked about. "We're missing one."

"Uhm..." Came a timid response behind us, causing us all to turn. Sayaka. Her head picked up as tears exploded from her eyes.

"I missed you guys!" She wailed, practically throwing the briefcase to the ground and giving all of us a huge hug.

"Look at you, Miki." Homura spoke first after we released one another. "Big successful career woman. I'm proud of you."

"Successful my ass." She responded after stemming her flowing tears. "I have a small apartment off a university, that I share with a dead beat roommate. Far from successful."

"Before we start regailing each other with our lives in the past year... bar." Kyouko mused. "The flight here was long, and I could use a drink." Homura responded with a nod.

"Yea... Kaname-san, you're the native. Where's the nearest bar?" I chipped happily.

"Let me show you!"

-Two Drinks Later-

"Korean! She thinks I look Korean! I mean, come on!" Kyouko couldn't help but explode into laughter at this. They had been here for only ten minutes and just about everyone was talking like the schism twenty years ago never happened. "So Mami-san. How has life been treating you?"

"Well..." She began, looking shortly at the table. "I'm... a little embarrassed to say this but... I've been married..."

"Wait... 'been'? That's in the past tense..." Came Kyouko's response. Mami only nodded.

"Yeah I..." A beat. "Married and divorced um... five times..."

"Five?!" Sayaka belted. "Damn, Mami-san, I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault, Miki-san. It was my own. It wasn't the first five times a man's lied to me, but I intend it to be the last." She cheered up, then looked to me. "So. Kaname-san. How do you spend your days." I paled a little. Shit. I hadn't planned on this.

"Uhm..." Everyone's eyes turned to me expectantly. "Well... I... uhm..." I settled on an unobtrusive aanswer. "I'm a... dancer."

"Really?" Sayaka asked.

"Like... ballroom or ballet, tap... What?" Kyouko added, Homura going for her drink.

"You know what? I'm proud of what I do. I don't have to hide behind cute labels. Girls. I am a stripper." I responded emphatically and with gusto. Homura gagged, her beer getting lodged in her throat.

"Oh my... Sakura-san, help her please." Leave it to Mami to remain calm under pressure.

"Got it." Kyouko jumped up and slugged Homura hard in the gut, the force enough to push what was stuck down and what was still in her mouth out. Thankfully, it missed everyone.

"Thanks..." Homura mused, Mami frowning.

"Sakura-san... punching Akemi-san in the stomach ill qualifies as the Heimlich..."

"Worked didn't it? Can we go back to when Madoka said she was a stripper? That conversation seemed more interesting."

"Not much else to tell. I'm a stripper, and I love what I do. It's hard at times..."

"...bet it is..." Kyouko chimed in, Mami giving her a death stare. I continued undaunted.

"...but my boss is really good to all of us, and she doesn't let anyone get too touchy." I looked at my watch and frowned. "Speaking of work, I need to go in in an hour..."

"Hey! We can come with!" Kyouko chimed.

"What?" Sayaka belted.

"Sakura-san, no. That's weird. Tell her, Akemi-san." Was Mami's answer.

"I'm game." Answered Homura, downing the rest of the bottle.

"I honestly wouldn't mind. I mean, you won't see something you haven't already." I watched Mami shake her head, drills bobbing with the motion.

"Kaname-san, that's just not right... I mean, how many girls do you have watching you nightly?"

"Well, let's see..." I paused to think. "There's my boss... My girlfriend..."

"Wait, your what now?" I smiled and giggled, bowing my head.

"I didn't mention that did I?" Mami knew, as reflected by her indifferent stare. Homura's lips flickered some unknown emotion, then it vanished, replaced by the nonchalant look. "But yeah... I've got a girlfriend, and she watches... I usually have more then one female customer a night..." I made one last plea. "Come on, Mami-san. Join us!"

"Yeah, Tomoe." Came Homura's response, polishing off her second beer.

"I can get you a couple of free dri~inks!" Sayaka's eyes lit up.

"I'll go for that." Mami looked at everyone assembled, then looked down, mumbling something I didn't understand.

"Really?!" Came Homura, looking unusually surprised. "Settled then. Madoka, she's never been to a strip club before. Now she has to go."

"Thirty three, married five times and never been to a strip club. What kind of life do you live, Twindrills?" Kyouko proded at her with a chuckle.

-Later. The Last Round-

Unfortunately, we had to leave rather quickly for me to get to work on time. Parting with the others near the door, I gave them all a hug and slipped in through the back entrance, leaving them to go in the front.

My heart pounded in my chest. Why did I let them talk me into this? Oh that's right. They didn't. I got Shanghaied into going to a strip club. A woman of my age and class should not be caught dead in these sleazy places. Akemi-san and the others looked positively thrilled (as thrilled as Akemi-san looks on a daily basis, of course) to be here, looking around and taking in all the sights. Sakura-san drew my attention to a rather large sign near the door. "See that, Twindrills?" She said with a smirk. "No touching the girls. Hands to yourself." I was already pretty buzzed from our last few drinks (which were starting to wear off, mind you), but just how she said that...

The bouncer, a rather tough looking American fellow, showed us politely through the door and wished us a good evening. The inside was considerably higher class then I would have pegged for such a place. The tables were well kept and I was very surprised to see a young man mopping the floor. Rather clean for a strip club, actually. He bade us good evening then continued to mop. We seemed to be the only ones in at the moment, as we were alone with the man with the mop.

"Have a seat, ladies. Someone'll be around to you in a bit." He spoke in perfect Japanese, despite his obvious western appearance. We picked a table (much too close to the stage for my liking, thanks Akemi-san) and had a seat. Taped neatly in the center of the table was a sheet of rules.

"Sure do love their rules here..." Sakura-san mused, looking at the paper. It had five simple rules typed in beautiful, yet simple script. "'Do not touch the dancer, or you will be asked to leave. Hands where they can be seen, you get two warnings, then you will be asked to leave. Do not throw anything on the stage, you get one warning, then will be asked to leave. All tips are to be placed in the dancer's respective jar. Private showings are at the dancer's desecration, if she says no, it means no..." Sakura-san whistled as she finished reading the sheet. "They run a pretty tight ship around here."

I watched a girl bring out a large tray with seven large, empty pickle jars. Each jar was decorated with names and a little scene on them in glass paint. She set them down in a groove along the front of the stage. The first read 'Kirin', an elegant kirin beast decorating the jar. The second depicted a scene of a wave washing over a beach, with the name 'Tsunami' rising from the water. The third was a pile of gold coins being stoically watched over by a beautiful red western Dragon, the name 'Red Dragon' appearing in gems within the pile of coins. The forth jar was the strangest yet, a wasteland scene depicted on, ruins and bones littering the scene, with a single, elegant and intricate pink arrow lodged into the ground, 'Arrow Of Heaven' written in the sand. The fifth jar was painstakingly painted with a heavenly, beautiful theme, a lithe female figure holding the world, the name 'Goddess' engraved within.

The fifth jar was decorated with an abstract drawing of a young girl in a frilly white and yellow dress, striking some comic book super hero pose, a field of sparkles and glitter surrounding her, with the words 'Magical Girl' written about her. This made me laugh, as well as frown as it struck home. The sixth jar showed a city beneath the sea, the word 'Rapture' written in sea weed. This... was a reference, wasn't it? The final jar was painted with a Giger-esque pattern with the word 'Queen' set into the pattern. I'm fairly certain this was a reference as well. With each and every passing moment, I liked the place more.

A few moments passed before a woman arrived wearing only a g-string and a matching string bikini. She stood between Akemi-san and I; which made me increasingly nervous, and smiled to us.

"Good evening, ladies. Show'll be starting momentarily, so can I get you anything to drink while you wait?" I had thought about getting water or something, but when everyone started ordering alcohol... "And for you?" Her attention to me.

"Uhm... the same?" I responded courtly, ordering what the others did. I thought I saw Sakura-san smile approvingly.

"Be right back." She sauntered off, her hips rolling back and forth as she moved.

"Oi. Tomoe." Homura's voice pulled my eyes forward again. "You were staring at her." My cheeks went crimson.

"I... I wasn't! I was... uhm... looking at that... sign... over there." Miki-san nodded, her own cheeks a similar shade; though I suspect that's more the fault of the alcohol.

"Twenty years later, Mami-san, and you're still a horrible liar." I buried my face into my hands.

"Shut up..." In my intoxicated state, I couldn't come up with a less juvenile response but... didn't much care to be honest. "I'm not drunk enough to be here." The waitress returned some few minutes later with a tray of bottles which she began distributing amongst the table.

"You're Maddy's friends, aren't you?"

"If by 'Maddy' you mean Madoka... then yes." Homura answered, the young girl nodding.

"Just wanted to let you know, drinks are on us tonight." I could already tell what kind of trouble that could get us in.

-Two Drinks Later-

I watched everyone in their intoxicated states, slowly slip farther and farther into sin. Sakura had her head down on the table, bobbing in and out of consciousness. Miki was about as wired as a woman could get, talking to anyone who passed, trying to get them to do illicit things to Sakura or myself. Tomoe was crying about something to do with men, and here I was, watching the whole world burn.

"C'mon, Akemi-saaaan! Just once!" Miki wailed, grasping me by my shoulders.

"No mean something else to you?" I asked firmly. "I'm not going to... fondle... Sakura. Especially not with her half dead."

"M'not half dead... jus' really... really 'ammered..." Sakura managed to speak through the table, Miki exploding into a laughing fit.

"Akemi-saaaaan..." Tomoe wailed, latching onto my sleeve. "Am I a horrible person?" Oh great... "I tried so hard to be a good wife for them and they...they..." Whatever Mami was tryingto say was lost as she sputtered into a bubbling fount of tears.

"No, you're not a horrible person, Tomoe. Just complicated." Truth be told, there wasn't a single person at this table that wasn't complicated. Miki was thrust into adulthood too soon, Kyouko was still emotional from what I could tell, Mami was an intelligent, good looking woman; which scared a lot of men, Madoka was... well, being a stripper and liking it was a whole new definition of complicated and me? Me, I was gay.

"Am I wrong, 'Kemisa... was'sai wrong about the whole straight thin'"

"Of course not Tomoe. You're find someone right for you. May take some time." I looked about, watching a lot of men file into the club. "Must be something going on..." The man who had the mop before stopped before me.

"Damn right there is. Arrow is about to come up. She always draws a crowd." The lights clicked off as the curtain rose, and I saw who Arrow Of Heaven really was. It was Madoka in a more 'adult' version of her combat outfit. Wow...

"WOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Sayaka belted, standing up and shrieking.

"Sit down, Miki. You'll get us kicked out."

"Nonesense! I've dreamed of this for years!"

"I fin'tha' equal parts in'trestin' an' disturbin'." Sakura managed through the table. "A'east quiet down... Ah gotta headache..."

Ugh... Oh God my head... I slowly came to, skull throbbing and back killing me. Looking around, I saw three unconscious figures strewn across both beds and one moving about. A hotel room. Noticing who was alive was easy, the flowing raven hair a dead give away. "Akemi-san?" I asked, trying not to wake others. Turning to face me, Homura smiled, just enough for me to see it glistening in the little light in the room.

"Afternoon, Miki." Homura mused, taking something from the table and striding to my side as I slowly managed to stand, back cracking and popping in a disagreeing argument. As she got close, she held her hand out, a small shotglass filled with a deep amber liquid. She motioned for me to take it.

"What's this?" I asked, sniffing it, the pungent stench hitting me hard.

"Whiskey." She answered casually.

"Akemi-san... no offense... but more alcohol is just going to make the hangover worse."

"Old British fable. A small shot of alcohol in the morning of a hangover lessens the effects. Just stick to one." Scowling, I put the glass to my lips and tossed it back, the liquid burning the whole way down, causing me to cough and hack. She laughed at my face, twisted into a frown of discomfort and pain. "Need to get used to the hard stuff, Miki." Exhaling and shaking my head vigorously I tried to get the taste out of my mouth, but the effect was noticable, my headach lessening by the second.

"It... burns..." I choked out. A groan from one of the beds as a second person woke up. Turning, I watched a moppy head of red hair stirring.

"Anyone catch the name'a that bus that hit us last night?" Kyouko asked, looking at both of us, blinking quickly. Homura took another shotglass from the table and handed it to Kyouko. "Mmmm, what's this?" After another look, she smiled. "Oh sweet." She tossed it back like nothing and sighing. "We getting the party started early, or what?"

"No, Sakura." She responded, shaking her head at Kyouko. "Just to subdue the hangover."

"Ah... good then. I think we're good after last night." I rubbed my eyes and looked down. I blinked as I looked at my clothes.

"Uhhhhh... Akemi-san? What am I wearing?" Homura smiled at this.

"One moment, Miki. Be better when everyone's up." As we waited for Madoka and Mami to wake up, I looked at myself, studying my outfit. It was entirely too large for me, and not to mention that it's not my style.

It wasn't long before both Mami and Madoka got up as I used the restroom.

"...Akemi-san, why are my clothes so tight?" I came back to hear Mami say. As I looked over, I discovered why hers were tight and mine were so loose.

"Mami-san..." I asked. "That's my suit your wearing..." Mami looked down at herself, blushing deeply.

"Miki-san, why are you wearing my dress, and why am I wearing your suit?" Homura grunted through a mouthful of whiskey and swallowed, answering our question.

"I can answer that. To be forward, all four of you got wasted." She reached into her sleeve and took out a video camera, flipping the little screen open, all of us stacking behind her. She hit play. "This is my favorite part."

"Mami!" My digitized voice called, the screen falling on me. "Mami... Mamimami..." I continued. "Hey Mami."

"I can hear you..." Mami's voice was shaky, and her face looked as though she had been crying.

"Mami... let's do something crazy..." Digitized me swayed with drink. "You. Me. Bathroom. Right now."

"Whu... why?"

"I wanna do something crazy with you..." Mami blinked slowly at me, then tipped the last of her beer into her mouth, finishing a whole bottle. I could feel my own cheeks glowing with a brilliant fire. Had I really...?

"Fuck it. I was married to five men in the last nineteen years. What's forty minutes in the bathroom with an old friend... Come on then, Sayaka. Let's go crazy." Homura turned the tape off, Mami grabbing her by the shoulders and turning her around to face her.

"What. Did. We. Do?" Mami growled, Homura shrugging.

"I didn't follow you. You came back giggling like idiots, sweating a bit and wearing each other's clothes." Mami went redder then I. I dug both hands into my pockets, finding a wad of money inside my right pocket. I pulled it out. "See you found that. It's for Mami."

"Oh yea... That's your cut from last night."

"My... 'cut'?" Homura pointed back to the camera, and pressed play. The only thing that was focused was a sign reading 'Now On: Arrow Of Heaven, +1'. "Plus one?"

"I'm just going to film this sign for a bit..." Homura spoke on the camera. "Aaaaand let you listen to those cheers... and leave what's happening to your imagination."

"Shut up and take my money! Take it all!" I heard me cry.

"You're a good dancer, Mami-san." Madoka spoke with a childish smile. Mami looked shocked and horrified. She sat on a bed and put both hands on her face.


End file.
